**Back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton have set up a final-day showdown for Arsenal, who host Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. A draw or win will be enough for the Gunners to secure second place, while the Red Devils must take all three points to leapfrog them.**
The reverse fixture at Leigh Sports Village was drawn at the death after a late equaliser from Melvine Malard saw the points shared. This was Renée Slegers’s first fixture in charge of the Gunners, who some months later will now stare down a Champions League Final against Barcelona at the end of the month.
As for Manchester United, the side confirmed their top-three spot in a 2-2 Manchester derby result last weekend, just weeks after head coach Marc Skinner signed a brand new deal with the club.
_The Halfway Line_ previews the battle for second that will take place this Saturday, the 10th of May.
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United have what it takes to derail shaky Arsenal
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Arsenal were on top of the world a fortnight ago after an emphatic victory saw the Gunners overthrow Lyon at the Groupama Stadium for a spot in the Final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. All was smooth sailing in north London, but the euphoria was short-lived after consecutive thumpings at the hands of Aston Villa and Brighton brought the Gunners back down to earth.
Villa’s 5-2 demolition of Arsenal could be excused with the caveat of a heavily rotated squad, a short few days between matches and a midweek away day in Birmingham. Renée Slegers opted to start academy graduate Katie Reid, as well as an all-out attacking midfield group consisting of Kyra Cooney-Cross, Mariona Caldentey and Victoria Pelova. Natalia Arroyo and her Villans were perfectly prepared for the new-look Arsenal side, unravelling the Gunners on the counter-attack for 90 minutes straight.
With a trip to Crawley on the horizon, Arsenal fans were ready for order to be restored against Brighton & Hove Albion, a side they have never lost to in WSL history. In fact, the last five meetings between the two sides ended in a 28-0 aggregate scoreline in favour of the Gunners. However, another shock to the system was delivered when the Seagulls flew past the tiresome Reds in a 4-2 rout at Broadfield Stadium.
The two things these losses had in common- Arsenal’s glaring vulnerability in the transition. The team most equipped to exploit this- Manchester United. With someone as fast-paced as Melvine Malard who tends to operate as a transitional 9 that exploits the space in and behind, Arsenal could be in some danger. Partner this with Maya Le Tissier’s love of sending a long ball, and the Gunners will need to watch their backs if Skinner is to start the French number nine.
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Russo could claim the Golden Boot against her former side
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Currently tied with Bunny Shaw at the top of the WSL’s Golden Boot tally, a fairytale finish to the pursuit could conclude with Russo claiming the individual honour against her former club.
Russo has been Arsenal’s shining star throughout 2024/25 campaign, currently tallied with 25 Goals/Assists across all competitions. The campaign has earned her several individual accolades, including the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Season.
Having departed Man United in the summer 2023, a Golden Boot winning goal against her childhood club would certainly write itself into football folklore.
Speaking to the media in a pre-match press conference, head coach Renée Slegers packed on the praise for Russo.
“She came in as a quality player. She’s improved during the season because of her mindset, and I think there’s more to come. So there’s still things that she’s working on and wants to do better. So that’s the exciting part with Alessia as well, I think all the potential that we still see. So she’s always at such a high level already, she has the mindset and then even more potential to be even better.”
League season wraps up but both sides still chasing silverware
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What usually seems to be in the air on the final day of the league season is a sense of nostalgia, undying effort and farewell energy. That won’t be the case for either of these sides as both Arsenal and Man United continue their search for silverware.
United gear up for an FA Cup Final day out at Wembley Stadium, where they will aim to throw anything in the way of Chelsea’s domestic treble hopes. As for Arsenal, a trip to Lisbon to face European Champions Barcelona looms on the horizon.
It will be interesting to see if either of these endeavours have an effect on the gamestate this weekend. For Arsenal, the Gunners continue to rest starting goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar ahead of the Champions League final. Second string starter Manuela Zinsberger has conceded nine games in just two days, something that will certainly fill the likes of Elisabeth Terland and Melvine Malard with confidence heading into the clash.
So, although this weekend bids farewell to another WSL campaign, the season is far from over for the Gunners and the Red Devils.